Nancy Pearl

Well, my to-read shelf just got a lot bigger after reading this book. Lots of great suggestions, although I was surprised by how often the books she recommended had terrible GoodReads ratings. Maybe this is because she already put out two bibliographies, and in trying not to duplicate entries from them she ended up selecting quite a few mediocre books for 'Book Lust To Go'. Since she suggests anywhere between 4 and 20 books for every single category, the presence of some mediocre books isn't a deal breaker; there are still dozens (hundreds?) of great titles to tempt you.

My favorite thing about this book is how she groups the subjects. She covers cities, regions, and entire countries, of course, but she also throws in some fun categories too. These kept popping up just when I needed a break from the ordinary, and they helped put me in a new frame of mind. My favorites include: Making Tracks by Train; Peace Corps Memories; Hiking the (Fill in the Blank) Trail; Comics with a Sense of Place; and So We/I Bought (or Built) a House In....… (more)

Most writers are readers, but what do they read? Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager wondered about this very thing, and so they decided to ask some of them. The result is “The Writer's Library” (2020), which contains interviews with nearly two dozen authors.

Typical questions asked by Pearl and Schwager include: What did you read as a child? Did any book inspire you to become a writer? Which books have been most important to you? Do you read while you have a book in progress?

The answers are varied, of course, yet certain books and certain authors pop up frequently. Several authors remember reading the Narnia Chronicles, Beverly Clearly, “The Lord of the Rings,” Judy Blume, “Watershed Down” and “Charlotte's Web” as children. Many, both men and women, read science fiction in their youth, especially such authors as Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov There are frequent mentions of Emily Dickinson, Henry James, Lorrie Moore, J.D. Salinger, Raymond Carver, Toni Morrison, Philip Roth, Flannery O'Connor and John Updike, although sometimes there are striking differences in reading tastes. Some admire Updike, while others don't. The same with Dickens. Some books once admired are in some cases now despised, such as Agatha Christie mysteries or those Narnia stories.

Some of the best-known writers interviewed included T.C. Boyle, Amor Towles, Dave Eggers, Richard Ford, Donna Tartt and Russell Banks. Some of them will no doubt be mentioned at some point in the future when other writers are asked what books are on their shelves.… (more)

I enjoy books about books. This is one woman's version of "what to read" after 35 years as a librarian around the US. Mostly, I mine these books for authors or titles I've never heard of, or to be reminded to read ones I have. I found Ms. Pearl's recommendations to be interesting in their variety, if a bit dated, and perhaps not as many recommendations from genres I enjoy the most. Glad I read through it. I have a ton of new books to hunt down and enjoy. My thanks to her for giving us these tips.… (more)